The preperitoneal prosthetic mesh repair of recurrent inguinal hernia

Recurrent inguinal hernia represents a great problem in surgery given the frequency of this operation, with a recurrence rate of 0.5-8 %. Re-recurrence after repair without implantation of a prosthesis occurs in 1-23 % of cases. We analyzed our results of patients with recurrent inguinal hernia, operated according to the method of Stoppa. Between 1989 and July 1994 there were 58 operations upon 55 patients with an average age of 65 years, 79 % of whom had unilateral and 21 % bilateral hernias. 89 % of all patients underwent surgery because of a recurrent inguinal hernia. A Marlex mesh was used in 79 % of the cases. All patients were followed up (mean 35 months, minimum 12 months). Early complications consisted in one hematoma (1.7 %), which had to be drained, as well as one early recurrence (1.7 %). No infections were observed. The overall recurrence rate was 12 %. However, 60 % of all recurrences occurred in the few first years after introduction of this technique at our clinic; with growing number of operations and experience with Stoppa's technique, we obtained a recurrence rate of 6-7 % per year. In our opinion, supported by the results of other studies, Stoppa's technique is a successful method in the treatment of recurrent inguinal hernia.